It was impossible to tell how much time had passed.
Yelena slowly opened her eyes.
What greeted her was the all-too-familiar sight of a pure white hospital ceiling.
"Ah... the hospital ceiling..."
An indescribable sense of relief instantly flooded her heart, nearly bringing her to tears.
"Thank goodness... I'm still here. I haven't been discharged yet... Everything just now... the Student Council, the President, and... Greg Sass joining the Disciplinary Committee and me having to guide him... all those terrifying things were just a nightmare that felt too real... Yes, it must have been a nightmare! Thank goodness..."
She let out a long, silent sigh of relief, her frayed nerves finally relaxing.
However, this feeling of surviving a disaster lasted for less than three seconds.
"Yo, Tiny, you're awake?"
A male voice drifted over from the other side of the bed.
That voice...
Yelena's petite frame instantly stiffened, as if frozen in time.
Her neck turned toward the source of the sound with agonizing slowness, clicking like the gears of a clock.
And then, she saw it.
The source of her nightmare—that face, excessively handsome yet currently making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar—sat in a chair by the bed. He was resting his chin on one hand, looking at her with utter boredom.
Greg Sass.
"Eeeek!!"
Yelena let out a shriek like a startled small animal and dove under the thin white covers, curling herself into a ball and trembling violently.
A tearful, terror-stricken voice muffled by the blanket cried out, "W-w-w-why... why are you here?!"
Greg watched the violently shaking bundle on the bed and replied, "Why wouldn't I be here? I'm the one who carried you all the way from the Student Council office."
"Y-you were the one who brought me here?"
Yelena's voice came through the blanket, laced with obvious doubt and trembling.
"Who else did you think it was? There were only three of us in the office. The President has her hands full with a thousand matters; did you expect her to personally lug a fainted pipsqueak like you over here?" Greg said helplessly.
Hearing this, Yelena cautiously pulled the blanket down a fraction, revealing only a pair of large, watery eyes to peek at Greg.
With this look, she realized that Greg's current appearance seemed... a bit disheveled?
His dazzling blonde hair was messy, no longer meticulously styled as usual. Instead, several rebellious strands of gold were sticking up.
Most notably, there were several fresh, small scratches on his cheeks, the backs of his hands, and other exposed skin. Though not serious, they were exceptionally jarring on his perfect face.
"The... the injuries on your body are...?"
Yelena momentarily forgot her fear, instinctively poking more of her head out from under the covers. Her round eyes were filled with genuine surprise and a hint of concern.
She was worried that her unlucky constitution had flared up and affected someone else, as those scratches looked remarkably like the injuries she frequently suffered herself.
"Uh, these..."
Greg hadn't expected her to notice. He blinked, looked down at the scratches on his hands, and his expression became somewhat subtle.
He hesitated for a moment, then waved it off, speaking in as casual a tone as possible.
"Um... it's nothing. Just some... small accidents that happened on the way here. Don't worry about it; it has nothing to do with you. Just lie there and rest. Don't overthink things."
He tried to brush the matter aside lightly.
However, the more he acted like it was nothing, the more it confirmed the terrifying suspicion in Yelena's heart.
"It really... was because of me!"
The injuries on his body must have happened because he was near her and got caught in her bad luck!
On the way to the hospital, he must have encountered some bizarre accidents!
And yet... even though he was hurt because of her, he didn't blame her. He was even being considerate of her feelings, telling her not to overthink it...
An intense wave of guilt flooded Yelena like a tide.
She remembered that before she fainted, she had felt such deep fear and disgust toward Greg, labeling him an irredeemable villain.
But now...
"Is he really... that bad?"
Coupled with the recent academy news saying he had saved a freshman from the Demon King Cult...
Could someone who did such things truly be a pure villain?
Could it be... that all this time, I've had such deep misunderstandings about him because of my prejudice against his appearance and his past behavior?
Is he actually... not a bad person at heart?
Once this thought took root, it grew like weeds in Yelena's mind.
When she looked at Greg again, though she was still a bit timid, the fear in her eyes had faded significantly. It was replaced by a mixture of guilt, gratitude, and a newfound perspective.
He chose to join the Disciplinary Committee... perhaps he really does want to change, to fix his image in everyone's eyes, and to do something productive?
And yet, because of my own prejudice and cowardice, I fainted immediately and even caused him to get hurt... I'm a terrible senior!
Greg had absolutely no idea that this tiny girl was currently playing out an internal drama about the reformation of a prodigal son.
At this moment, his mind was on something else entirely.
Greg was actually quite grateful for Yelena's sudden fainting spell, as it provided him with a perfect excuse to skip out on those magic classes he couldn't understand at all.
Furthermore, if she stayed in bed like this, he wouldn't have to do any Disciplinary Committee work. He could just wait until the right time and return to the dungeon.
At that thought, Greg's gaze toward Yelena became a bit warmer, and his tone turned much more sincere.
"It really was just some minor accidents. Don't worry about it at all. You should just keep resting. Don't overthink; your health is the most important thing."
Hearing this, Yelena's heart was moved to a complete mess.
He really is a good person! Even at a time like this, he's worrying about my health!
No! I can't let his kindness go to waste, and I certainly can't fail the task the President gave me!
Greg wants to start over. As his senior and the Disciplinary Committee member responsible for him, I must help him!
A powerful sense of responsibility and a determination to correct her past prejudices caused Yelena to suddenly bolt upright in bed.
She threw back the covers and moved to get out of bed with surprising agility, her small face set in a rare expression of resolve.
"P-please, what time is it now?"
She asked urgently while bending over to put on her shoes.
"I-I'm going to take you to familiarize yourself with the Disciplinary Committee's workflow and protocols right now! You must get a basic understanding of it today!"
The warm expression on Greg's face instantly froze, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Wait... this isn't how it's supposed to go, you tiny brat! Aren't you supposed to lie back down weakly and say, "Greg, I don't feel very well today; can we do the work another day?"
He glanced at the sky outside and his brain worked at high speed, trying to find a reasonable excuse to stall.
"Ah, about that... Senior Yelena."
He intentionally used a respectful title.
"Look, the time is... uh, actually, the last period of the afternoon has already ended. Besides, it's almost time for the Student Council to dismiss for the day. You've had quite a shock today and just woke up from a faint. There's really no rush for the work. You should just rest and recover first. I'm really in no hurry. Not in the least."
He tried to make his tone sound incredibly sincere, full of consideration for her well-being.
However, the more Greg acted like he was looking out for her, the more Yelena was convinced of his thoughtfulness.
The sense of mission to take responsibility burned even brighter in her heart.
"No!"
Yelena finished putting on her shoes and stood her petite frame straight. Her round face was full of determination, even carrying a rare, brook-no-argument authority.
"Today! We must! Familiarize you with the work! This is the task the President gave me, and... and it is my responsibility as your senior!"
She looked at Greg with burning eyes, as if fulfilling a sacred duty.
Greg: "..."
The smile remained on his face, but upon closer inspection, the curve of that smile had become stiff. The last glimmer of hope in the depths of his eyes had been extinguished.
Looking at this suddenly fired-up tiny senior, Greg's hand, hidden within the wide sleeve of his academy uniform, instinctively tightened around his brick.
No, calm down, Greg. Calm down.
Violence won't solve the problem right now, especially since she's from the Student Council and seems to be a bit slow in the head...
He took a deep breath. Finally, he put on a flawless smile again, nodded to Yelena, and said in a voice that sounded like it was squeezed through his teeth:
"All... right. Senior Yelena. Then... I'll be in your care."
Fuck! You useless tiny brat!
Rate on N.U.
